Evil Goddess Redeemed?

This Week's Topic: Fictional villain for whom I'd write a redemption arc

(if copyright and trademarks weren't a thing).

rubs chin, waggles brows

Of late, I've returned to my demons-and-divine-beings obsession, which neatly evades the copyright or trademark part of this week's prompt. Whenever the topic of "villains" comes up, my mind goes straight to the gods deemed "evil," and I question why they're portrayed this way and who gave them the short straw?

In the 4th book of my Immortal Spy series, I leveraged Musso-Koroni, traditionally known as a goddess of discord. As is not at all uncommon in mythologies, goddesses who are branded "bad" are typically victims of a smear campaign by other parties within the pantheon (usually male-presenting parties, but not always). A little digging into Musso-Koroni's origin myth revealed her #1 enemy in the pantheon was her husband. So, I wrote her a little redemption backstory...despite her being the antagonist in my story.

“Musso-Koroni married a dreadful twit on the promise that she and her new husband would rule other gods. A new pantheon for a new World. Unfortunately, her husband was like most men who are bestowed power. He got drunk on it and demanded more. She saw the way it warped him, was disgusted by it, and called him on it. He wanted her subservience. When she refused, he turned their people against her, so she left. Became a traveler goddess, untethered to any location. Her husband, in his futile fury, branded her a goddess of discord and formally banished her. His choice of derogative was better suited for himself than his wife."

--from The Hanged Spy, by K.A. Krantz 

I'd happily write redemption stories for Hera and Medea too, despite there being other redemption tales out there. Ya know, if I ever finish the other books on which I'm working. 

laughs maniacally, clutches coffee mug